Imprisoned politician agrees to become single opposition candidate in 2015 election
Belarusian newspaper Narodnaya Volya has published an article by ex-presidential candidate Uladzimir Niakliayeu, in which the politician proposes political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich as a single opposition candidate in the 2015 presidential election.
Maryna Adamovich, the wife of the imprisoned politician, quoted Mr Statkevich as saying:
“I have read an article by Niakliayeu in Narodnaya Volya on Oct. 14. It may be not the worst option.
My point is the following:
-
I thank Mr Niakliayeu for his support
-
I confirm that I agree to come forward as a single [opposition] candidate
-
Niakliayeu’s plan concerning a ‘reserve’ candidate is interesting and worth exploring”
At the same time, the Central Election Commission (CEC) is highly unlikely to registr Statkevich as a candidate, Niakliayeu stresses. “But the CEC won’t be able to prevent holding a campaign for Statkevich’s registration,” Niakliayeu wrote. He also offered to put forward a ‘reserve’ candidate: the latter could organise a ballot strike in case Statkevich was denied registration.
Mikalai Statkevich is the last 2010 presidential candidate to be in prison. The sentence given to Mr Statkevich in 2011 was one of the toughest: six years of imprisonment in a maximum security penal colony. The reason might be explained by the fact that in his election speech Mikalai Statkevich addressed to the current president demanding “to give back all that you have stolen”. The authorities are trying to embitter Statkevich’s life even in prison putting him to a disciplinary cell or making him share a ward with an AIDS sufferer. However, the former presidential candidate keeps mantaining his innocence and refuses to ask President Lukashenka for pardon.
It is not ruled out that the pressure on Mikalai Statkevich will be ramped up after his decision to become a single opposition candidate.
